Signaling device.



S. & T. .l. McREYNOLD8.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1918.

1,293,841. Patented Feb.11,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

s. & T. J. McREYNOLDS.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1918. I

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m u o o BNTTED STATES PATENT UFFTGE.

SAMUEL MOREYNOLDS AND THOMAS J. MOREYNOLDS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

SIGNALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

warn an oncoming vehicle of the intention,

of the driver of the vehicle upon which the signaling device is mounted, to stop, slow up or turn.

One object of our invention is to provide a strong and durable device of the above described character which can be quickly and easily operated.

Another object is to so construct our in vention that it can be operated by a treadle or foot lever and will include means which will prevent a. harsh or severe operating action of the foot lever from injuring the movable signaling element.

nature to that shown in Fig. 4., with the signaling element moved into operative poshaft 31.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, we attam 1n the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side: elevation of a vehicle having'our improved signaling device thereon, part of the vehicle being broken away to more clearly show the'elements of our inventlon,

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 1',

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of a portion of our invention taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on' the line 44 of Fig. 1 and drawn to the scale shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of certain of the elements of our invention,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken on other.

the line 66 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a resilient bell-crank-lever which forms a part of J our invention, and Fig. 8 is a view of similar sition.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents 1 the body of a vehicl having a drivers front platform 2 and a casing 3 thereon in which is pivotally mounted a shaft 4 having a signaling member 5 secured thereto. This signaling member, as illustrated, is in the form of a hand and normally assumes the vertical position entirely within the casing, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The shaft 4: extends into the interior of the body portion 1 of the vehicle and a two-arm lever 6 is secured to the inner end of the shaft 4:.

One arm 7 of the lever 6 has one end of a spring 8 secured thereto, the other end of said spring being secured, in the present instance, to the bottom 9 of the body portion 1 of the vehicle. The other arm 10 of the lever 6 has an eyelet 11 to which is connected an eyelet 12 on one end of a link 13. The opposite end of the link 13 freely passes through the bottom 9 of the vehicle and has an eyelet 14 which is linked to an eyelet 15 on a resilient bell-crank-lever 16.

This bell-crank-lever, as illustrated, is made of a continuous piece of heavy resilient wire which has a coiled portion 17 in the form of a helix. portions of the wire form the arms 18 and 19 which are arranged at an angle to each other, as clearly shown in the several views of drawing.

A pivot shaft 20, mounted in suspended The opposite endbody 1, passes axially through the coiled portion 17 of the bell-crank-lever 16 so that the latter is adaptedto rock on the pivot shaft 20. The arm 19 has an eyelet 22 which is coupled to an eyelet 23 of a link 24. The opposite end of the link 24 has an eyelet 25 thereon which is coupled to an eyelet 26 of a second resilient bell-crank-lever 27.

This 'bell-crank-lever 27 is made substantially similar to the bell-crank-lever 16 and consists of a continuous piece of heavy resilient wire which has a coiled portion 28 in the form of a helix. The opposite end portions of the wire form arms 29 and 30 which are arranged at an angle to each A pivot shaft 31, mounted in suspended bearings 32 on the bottom 9 of the vehicle, passes axially through the coiled portion 28 of this bell-crank-lever 27 so that the latter is adapted to rock on the pivot The'arm 30 has its end turned to provide lever 34, as shown at 39, so that a downward movement of the treadle 37 will cause the forward end oi the beam lever 3i to move downwardly and the rear end thereof to move upwardly;

The coiled spring 8 normally serves to hold the signalling member 5' within the easing 3,, said casing being open at one; side, as

shown at 40. However, during, the operation of the device, the operative position attenuated and thereby placedunder tension when: the treadle 3 K is depressed, and

' after the treadle is released the: spring 8 will serve to move the signaling member 5 back into the casing 3 The operation of our device is as follows: If the driver of the vehicle upon which our invention is mounted, desires to signal an oncoming vehicle as above described, be depresses, with his foot, the treadlle 37 which causes the-beam lever'34- to-be rockedandi in so doing the beam lever w-ili raise the arm 30 of the belI crankJ-Iever 3'7 and cause the arm 29- to' move the connecting link longitudinally thereby, in turn, causing the beLl crank leVer 16 to be rocked. This lat-- ter movement of thebell-crank-lever 16 will rock the two arm levers 6' through the mediumiot the link 13 and cause the; signaling member 5 to be projected beyond the open end 40 of the casing 3 and into-the position shown in 8. Thus the signaling member 5 can be observed by the driver of an oncoming vehicle.

By the arrangement of the best lever 34? and its slidableconnection with the arm 30 of the bell-crank-lever 27, a free and 'easy movement is imparted to the signaling member through the medium of the tread-1e 37 and the parts can be easily assembled or removed. In addition to this the spring 8 normally keeps the severalconnected parts under tension so that they wil not jar or rattle during the movement of the vehicle.

Another valuable feature of our invention is in 'th'e construction of. the resflzien't-bellcrank-levers-since by constructing these belL crank-levers as above described it is practically impossible to injure the connecting element no matter how hard or severe is the action upon the treadle- 37 since the inclusion of thecoiled springs 1'2 and 28 of the dle 37. This is an important feature for the reason that it is often necessary to signal quickly and while the driver is under eX- citement and thereby is unable to take time to. operate the signaling device at the speed which the parts would require if they were positively connected. It is, therefore, by the inclusion of the resilient crank levers and thewslid-able connection between the arm 30 and beam lever 34: that the parts can be made comparatiwely light weight and yet capableof' resisting severe shocks by the treadle being forced downwardly with a greater power than: is necessary to move the signalingmember into an operative position.

For the purpose of illuminating the signalingember' at night, an electric: lampi1 can be applied thereto and can be connected being, shown Fig. 8-, this spring: 8' becomes in any suitable. manner.

W hile we have described our lventlon as. taking ,a particularform, it wrll be understood that the various partsof our invention may ber-changed without departing from the spirit: thereof, and. hence we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction setv fcrth, but consider that wears at liberty to make such changes and alterations'as fairly come within the scope: of. the appended claims. r

what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

L A si-gnalmg' device of the character described mcludmg' a signaling meber; a belil-cra-nk-lever the arms of which are connectetogether-but resiliently movable with respect to each "other; means operatively connected to said signalingmember and including a link attached to onev of said arms; means formoving the other ofsaid arms to rock said 'l'everwto-cause said first arm to move the link and thereby operate the signal member, s-ubstantiaily as described.

QL A signaling deviceof the character described including a signaling member; abell-crankdever having a pivoted coil portion and arms leading from said coil portion; means operatively connected to said signaling member and including a member attached to one of said arms; and means for moving the other of said arms to rock theiever on its pivot and .to cause said first :arm to move said second mentioned member scribed including signaling member; a

bell-crank-lever the arms of whi-eh are resiliently movable with respect to each other;

means OSIJQI'fitlZVGlY connected. said signaling 'member and includinga member attachedzto-oneof said a pivoted lever for engagement with the other of said and means for rocking said pivoted :lever whereby the bell. -;erank lever is rocked through the medium of said latter arm to move said second mentioned member and thereby operate the signal member, substantially as described.

4:. A signaling device of the character de scribed including a signaling member; an operating lever; means for moving the operating lever; and a bell-crank-lever having one arm in slidable engagement with said first lever, the other arm of said bell-cranklever being operatively connected to said signaling member whereby when said operat-- ing lever is moved it will operate said first arm of the bell-crank-lever to rock the latter so that said second mentioned arm will move 15 said signaling member through the medium of its connecting means, substantially as described. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence 20 of two swbscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL MGREYNOLDS. THO S. J. MQREYNOLDS. Witnesses:

CHAS. E. POTTS, MARY A. INGLAR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

